In Perpetuum

Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Subsidium

 

Hermione had recovered with rapid speed considering she had been attacked by a powerful magical object whilst in the process of destroying it.

Her short stay in the hospital had, inevitably, led to a lot of questions about where she was and why she was there.

Someone had spun the story that she had needed a calming draught from Madam Pomfrey, but Hermione’s nerves were no match for the potion. She had needed several very strong calming potions over the course of a few days. Apparently, the source of the anxiety attacks was the upcoming OWL examinations.

Hermione did not want to have to answer a million and one questions about her ‘delicate disposition’, and only ever added fuel to the fire when it came to the rumours. She was sick of it, and frankly, she had more important things to think about.

On one morning that was just like any other Hermione had joined a particularly pale Remus for breakfast. She was feeding Boo the crusts from her toast when the owls arrived with their daily mail. Hermione paid the tawny brown one that approached her five knuts for that morning’s ‘Prophet’.

Whilst Hermione was very aware that Death Eaters were leaning heavily on what was printed in the newspaper, Hermione enjoyed the other bits of news. In fact, she very much enjoyed the crossword puzzle at the end. It was charmed to flash different colours depending on whether you guessed the word correctly or not. It turned a fluorescent pink if the word was wrong, and a blinding blue if the word was correct. This warning system saved a lot of practise when it came to vanishing ink off a page.

However, the bit of toast in Hermione’s mouth almost dropped out of there when she saw what was on the cover of this morning’s paper.

WOLFSBANE POTION

Well-renowned potions master and alchemist, Damocles Belby has created a potion that will greatly improve public safety, and hopefully force a dramatic decline in the number of werewolf attacks.

He had created what is known as the ‘Wolfsbane Potion’: a potion which he claims will lessen the effects of that monthly cycle, and relieve the symptoms of lycanthropy.

“It allows one to hold onto their mental faculties after they have transformed, this in turn, will make them less dangerous to the others in the community,” stated Mr Belby in an interview earlier this week.

The article went on to describe the appearance of the potion, and its effects as recounted by several already noted werewolves.

“Remus!” whispered Hermione urgently, “Have you seen the ‘Prophet’ this morning? Have you seen it?!”

She began to tug on his sleeve to get her attention, but when she turned around properly she saw that the newspaper was already sitting in front of him. His eyes were bulging in anticipation.

Hermione was grateful that it was a Saturday morning and that most people had decided to sleep in. The lack of students made it very easy for Hermione to cover up the complete brain explosion that Remus was currently experiencing.

Barely five minutes had passed before James, Peter and Sirius tore down the small pathway between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to where Hermione and Remus were seated. Newspapers were being waved about in their excitement, and Hermione dropped her head into her hands at their very obvious display. If people did not have suspicions before today, they would now, because, apparently, James and the others had received the good news.

When they were sure that Remus had received the good news as well, they settled down to their own heaped plates of sausages and eggs.

James leaned over and whispered animatedly, “Me and the other guys, we’ll still come with you, even if you do end up taking the potion.”

Remus turned his head to see the vigorously nodding heads of his other friends.

“You don’t have to-” Remus began to say before he was cut off by Sirius.

“But we’re your friends, and that is what friends are for.”

“I... I... hmmm...I guess I don’t know what to say except for: where do I get some of this potion?”

HPHPHPHPHHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

On the night of the next full moon, Hermione did something that she had never done before. She prayed for the safety of Remus, James and Sirius. Peter had gone along as well, but after recent revelations, Hermione did not feel the need to trouble herself with him.

In her opinion, he was a contemptuous piece of scum that ought to be obliterated off the face of the earth. Most days, it was all that she could do to stop herself from ridding the world of him. She finally understood why he was in Gryffindor. It was because the boy was a Death Eater in secret, yet he had the nerve to call himself a Marauder. There were times when Hermione wanted to tell her brother and his friends exactly what their, (for lack of a better word) friend was really up to. She knew that no matter what she did to this thing (she could hardly acknowledge him as human by this point), it would be nothing compared to what the others would do.

Hermione did not know much about the Wolfsbane potion, and as a result she did not know how effective it was going to be. Would it work to keep Remus at bay, even if he was surrounded by his friends in their animagus form? In previous months when they had all returned from their jaunt to the Shrieking Shack, Hermione would wince at the scars and scratches that had been unknowingly inflicted. She hoped that the potion would at the very least, prevent this from happening anymore.

She kept glancing out the windows of her dormitory whilst she was awake, and she hardly slept a wink all night. Her ears would prick up at the slightest sound that might give her a hint about how Remus’ transformation was progressing.

Hermione was sure that the others had noticed her acting strange, as much as they had noticed the continued disappearance of Remus, and now the other Marauder’s.

It was certainly going to be a long few days, and she was sure that there was going to be plenty more questions in this time.